Asfinag warns:

More and more vehicle fires on our highways

The number of vehicle fires on Austria’s highways has increased dramatically—Asfinag is issuing a warning.(Bild: benjaminnolte - stock.adobe.com)

A dangerous trend: The number of cars catching fire on Austria’s highways has risen sharply in recent years. In both 2024 and 2025, 300 vehicles went up in flames over the course of the entire year—that’s nearly one vehicle per day. This number is likely to be exceeded this year...

So far, 151 vehicle fires have already been recorded—and the actual “fire season” hasn’t even begun yet. According to Asfinag, the summer months of July and August are particularly dangerous. This is based on experience from previous years. With around 20 fires each, these two months have been the “perennial hotspots,” according to the traffic club. By comparison, there were 226 in 2020. 

The reasons for the increase in fires are a combination of several factors. Extreme summer heat plays a role in that it can contribute to technical defects in vehicles.

It’s worth noting that in all vehicle fires recorded so far, the occupants were able to escape the burning cars in time and get to safety.

The number of vehicle fires on Austria’s highways has risen dramatically—Asfinag is issuing a warning.(Bild: benjaminnolte - stock.adobe.com)

Gefährliches Phänomen auf Autobahnen

Die häufigsten Ursachen für Fahrzeugbrände

• Überhitzte Motoren

• Poröse Leitungen und dadurch austretendes Öl oder Kraftstoff, die sich entzünden

• Festsitzende Bremsen, die überhitzen

• Technischer Defekt (etwa beschädigte Radlager, fehlendes Kühlmittel)

• elektrischer oder elektronischer Defekt mit Kurzschluss

• Reifenschäden oder zu niedriger Reifendruck

“That’s precisely why it’s so important to always check the condition of your vehicle, especially before long trips,” urges Asfinag traffic safety expert Bernhard Lautner. A thorough check can help you avoid unpleasant surprises while driving and, in the worst case, even the loss of the entire vehicle. 

Next Wave of Travel Set to Hit the Highways
This is an especially important tip right now, as the second wave of travel begins: Traffic will once again be rolling in full force this weekend. School vacations are starting in the remaining federal states, as well as in several neighboring countries. Kilometers-long traffic jams are therefore virtually inevitable. The situation is further exacerbated by several events taking place at the same time, such as the Electric Love Festival.  

Not just a travel surge, but also the next heat wave
But it’s not just the travel surge that’s on its way—the next heat wave is coming too. After a brief, cool respite, temperatures are expected to soar well past the 30-degree mark again in the coming days.

This also increases the risk of roadside fires. According to Asfinag, these are also becoming more frequent. Heat waves also play a role here, but unfortunately, fires away from the highways are mostly “man-made”: Careless behavior in particular contributes to this, such as discarded cigarettes combined with dry vegetation.

And there are statistics on this as well: Last year, Asfinag and fire departments had to respond to such fires 39 times; this year, there have already been 20 calls! However, in only seven cases was a burning vehicle the cause of the embankment fire.